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February 1, 2007

Tennessee's Gov halts executions over lethal injection concerns

As detailed in early press reports here and here, Tennessee "Gov. Phil Bredesen on Thursday postponed four pending executions, saying the state needs to rework its procedures for lethal injection." Here's more:

Bredesen reiterated his support for the death penalty but said he was issuing temporary reprieves for four condemned killers because of concerns the state’s written protocol for execution isn't specific enough. "The document describes the drugs to be used, it doesn't describe how much is to be used. That's a huge failure of that document," Bredesen said.

State officials want to complete a "comprehensive review" and reworking of the execution guidelines by May 2, the governor said. "There's no question in my mind the protocols are not adequate. that’s why we're taking this action today," Bredesen said. The governor said he called for the review because of a case pending in federal court that challenges the state's lethal injection process.

A kind reader who alerted me to this news also sent along the Governor's executive order, which can be downloaded here: